Press Statement

Journalist Abrar Tanoli killed in Pakistan

03 Mar, 2014

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) to strongly condemn the killing of a journalist in Abbotabad, in the Hazara region of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan.

On Sunday March 2, journalist Abrar Tanoli was shot in the neck by unidentified gunmen while travelling with his family at Mamsehra. He passed away in the early morning of Monday March 3.

Tanoli, the General Secretary of Mansehra Press Club, was a photographer for Reuters and a reporter for local newspapers, Daily Mahsib and Daily Shamal. According to PFUJ and the Abbotabad Union of Journalsits, he was under threat for his reporting and had recently been provided police protection for a two month period.

In January, 2013, Tanoli was arrested and released on bail in a case of murder of two students, whose family had publicly threatened him of revenge.

The IFJ joins the PFUJ in condemning the state’s failure to provide security to a journalist whose life was clearly threatened over his reporting and calls on the Pakistan government to thoroughly investigate this case and bring his attackers to justice expediently.

The IFJ also expresses its deepest condolences to the Tanoli family.

Pakistan remains one of the deadliest countries in the world for journalists, this is the sixth murder of a member of the media in Pakistan this year. Journalists Shan Dahar and Afzal Khawaja and media workers Khalid Khan, Waqas Aziz Khan and Ashraf Arian have already lost their lives in 2014. A series of nationwide journalist protests have been held to mourn and protest the tragic escalation in journalist killings in Pakistan since the beginning of 2014.

“The IFJ is deeply concerned about the day-to-day threats faced by Pakistani journalists and the ongoing climate of impunity that consistently leaves justice denied in the case of journalist murders,” the IFJ said.

On January 21, IFJ issued a letter to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif calling for “serious and overdue action” to protect Pakistani journalists and bring attackers to justice.

Written By

IFJ Asia-Pacific IFJ Asia-Pacific

The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 140 countries.
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